Difficult week: Roy Hodgson has now seen how tough the England job is (Image: PA)

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There are too many militant people coming out of the woodwork who are prepared to point the finger when it comes to racism, and it is not fair.

If we look back on the John Terry race affair there was no ambiguity. The same goes for the Luis Suarez case.

But in the context of Hodgson’s half-time England team talk, there was no racial inference at all ... just the word monkey.

If we are going to now say that by using the word monkey, irrelevant of its context, we are now causing offence, then we are in trouble.

Row: John Terry's race affair had no ambiguity (Image: Getty)

People are already walking on eggshells, carefully trying to be seen as PC because we live in a country that is predominantly anti-racist.

But this is a classic case of why ­everybody is so worried.

When Peter Herbert from the Association of Black Lawyers – or whoever he is claiming to represent this week – pops up in the media saying the word monkey should not be used, and that a proper investigation should have been conducted, you have to wonder whether we are heading in the right direction.

Because only people actively looking for a direct link between a black man and monkey – a vile old insult – would stretch that kind of story to its limit.

I was so angry when I read about this, but thought about what I would have done in the dressing room. The fact is I would have simply seen it as a man telling a story.

There is no parallel between a ­monkey on a spaceship and a black man, and if you make that connection there is something wrong with your thinking – whether you are black, white or Asian.

Because black does not equal ­monkey.

I hated seeing the words Race, Roy and Monkey in the same articles because it is a label Hodgson ­absolutely should not have associated with his name.

He is better travelled and educated than most, and I would go as far to say is probably the least offensive man I have met.

The comments from the Association of Black Lawyers are doing race ­relations in this country no good in my opinion.

Unfair: Roy Hodgson is better travelled and educated than most (Image: Michael Regan - The FA)

If someone calls me a black b****** then they are trying to demean me in terms of race. They are looking down on me because of my colour.

If someone tells a story with the word monkey in, it is not the same at all.

What happened to context? People should be able to explain things without the threat of being branded a bigot.

It is like having a problem with the term ‘blackboard’, or the nursery rhyme ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’.

The next step is to move on – but it will be difficult knowing that there is a mole in the dressing room.

I want to know what this person was so offended by. Come out and tell us – don’t hide out there anonymously.

We cannot have a situation the next time England get together for a friendly where we are all discussing who the mole in the team is.

Everyone will be looking at each other, studying behaviour, and that is how teams can become derailed.

I think Hodgson will find out who it is, and will able to put the situation behind him.

But one thing for sure is that he will certainly have realised this week just how difficult the job of England ­manager can be.